Submarine escape



June 2l, 1932. c. E. c. RADEMACHER SUBMARINE ESCAPE Filed Aug. 4, 1931ATTORN EY its.

Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTY OFFICE;

CHARLES EMIL CHRISTIAN 'RADHACHEIL DI ST. ALBANS, YORK Application med.august 4, 1931. vsemi No. 575x082.

An object of the invention is 4to provide an escape Vfor submarineshaving a chamber with an ventrance, and an exit, with means within thechamber for closing the entrance to and the exit from the chamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chamber with a plungerfor forcing Water from the chamber after the entrance has been closedand the exit has been opened to permit of the closing of the exit andthe Withdrawal of the plunger from the exit with the chamber free fromwater.

Other obj ect-s of the invention are l.to provide means Vfor opening andclosing a head vat the exit of the chamber, the said means beingoperable from within 'as well 'as from without the chamber, and toprovide means operable from within as well as 'from without the chamberto .secure the door at the inlet. The plunger is preferably providedwith a check valve or valves .and means are provided for moving theplunger in the cylinder. Means are also provided for locking the head atthe exit from the chamber. Additional objects of the invention willappear in the following speciiication in which the preferred forni ofthe invention is described.

In the drawingsimilar reference characters refer to similar parts in theAseveral views, of which f Figure 1 is a sectionalA view showing .theescape device in connection with a -submarine, a portion of which isshown in section,

Figure 2 is a sectional view `similar to the sectional view illustratedin Figure '1, but with the head at the exit ,from the chamber in openposition, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

By referring to the drawing it will be seen that the escape device isarranged on a sub-v marine, a portion of which is shown in section at 5,the device including a chamber 6 which is preferably in the form of acylinder and which has an exit opening 7 at'one of its ends and an inletopening 8, which is preferably at the top of the chamber or cylinder 6.v The opening 7 is closed by a head 9 which is i pivoted at 10, the head9 having a gasket 11 for engaging the'end of the cylinder to obtain atight joint. Secured tothe head 9 there is an arm 12 which has a pin andslot connection 13 with a -rod 14, the rod 14 extending through anopening 15 inthe submarine, 55 which is provided with a stuhng box 16 toprevent leakage, the rod 14 being journaled in a bearing I7 in adepending gear box 18. The rod 14 is threaded, as shown at 19, andmeshing with this thread there is a nut 20 having outer teeth I21 and anintegral sprocket wheel22. 'A sprocket chain 23 is disposed around thesprocket wheel 22, by which means the nut y20 may be rotated and, asthis nut20 and sprocket wheel 22 are rotated between a bearing 24 andthe wall 25 of the gear box 18,fthe rotation of the nut serves to movethe rod inwardly for outwardly, as maybe desired, to open orvclose thehead 9. The chamber or cylinder ,6 has a depression 26 with a bearing 27and journaled in this bearing l27 there is a stub shaft 28 on whichthere is mounted aear 29 which meshes with the teeth 21 of t e nut 20.At the inner side of ther'stub shaft '28 there is a handwheel 30 and itwill, therefore, be :understood that by turning `the Ahandwheel '30within the interior of the chamber or cylinder 6, it is lpossible toopen or shut the head 9as may be desired.

Therefore, this head 9 may be opened or may be shut, ,eithervfrom withinor from without the chamber or cylinder.

y The inlet 8 has an outwardly extending rim 31 'and a bracket 32, adoor 33 being hinged to the bracket 32, this door 33 being preferablyprovided with a handle 34, by which means the door 33 may beconveniently opened or closed from within the chamber or cylinder '6.The door 33 has also an extending arm 35 which is positioned forengagement by alocking member 36,-this locking member 36 beingpivoted toa bracket 37 at the outer side of a hood 38 extending from the chamberor cylinder 6. This hood 38 has anv opening 39 through Whichis disposedan arm 40 on the locking member 36, the locking member 36 also has `anoutwardly extending arm 41, so that the locking member 36 may beoperated eitherfroinwithin or from without the chamber or cylinder 6.The locking member 36 is provided with an opening 42, so that when thelocking member 36 is positioned as illustrated by the full lines inFigure l of the drawing, the arm on the door 33 will be disposed in thesaid opening 42 and will be held secured by engagement with asurface ofthe locking member 36. However, when the locking member 36 is moved tothe position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure l of the drawing,the arm 35 will be free from the locking member 36, so that the door 33may be opened, as illustrated in the dotted lines in Figure 1, Securedto the arm 40 at the inner side of the hood 38, there is a gasket orwasher 42 which serves to prevent the escape of water from the chamberor cylinder 6 through the opening 39. v

Disposed in the chamber or cylinder 6 there is a plunger or piston 43,the plunger orpiston 43 having valve openings 44 which are normallyclosed by flaps or other check valves 45, which prevents fluid frompassing from the chamber or cylinder 6 at the opening through the valveopenings 44, while permit- 1 ting air to flow from the head 46 ofthecylinder through the valve openings 44 into the cylinder adjacent itshead 9. There are openings 47 in the head 46 which permit a flow of airthrough the head 45 to and through the valve openings 44.

The head 46 is provided with a bearing 48 and a bracket 49 is secured tothe head 46,. a screw 50 being provided which is journaled in thebearing 48, this screw 50 also being journaled in a bearing 51 in theplunger or piston 43. Meshing with the screw 50 there is a nut 52 havingsprocket teeth 53 around which a sprocket chain 54 is disposed. It willvbe understood thatthe longitudinal movement of the nut 52 is preventedby the bearing 48 and the bracket 49, and that, therefore', vwhen' thenut 52 is rotated by the sprocket chain 54 and sprocket teeth 53, itwill serve to move the screw 50, together with the plunger or piston53,` longitudinally of the chamber or cylinder 6. Y l

The head 9 is provided with a threaded projection 55 which is disposedfor disposal in a threaded opening 56in a member 57 which haslongitudinal and rotary movement in a bearing 58 in the submarine 5. Themember 57 is provided with a handwheel 59, so that when the threadedprojection 55 is disposed at the threaded opening` 56 in the member 57,the handwheel 59 may be rotated to lock the threaded projection 55 inthe member 57. A resilient packing-60 is disposed in the bearing 58 topermit the longitudinal and rotary movement of the member 57, as may benecessary, to secure and lock the threaded projection 55 on the head 9,while preventing water from passing through the bearing 58.

It will be understood that the device which has been described may bedisposed at any desired place on the submarine and thatwith the head 9in closed position and the plunger or piston 43 disposed adjacent thehead 46, the door 33 may be opened, when a man may enter the chamber orcylinder 6, after which the door 33 may be closed, and should there beonly one man remaining in the submarine, this door may be secured fromthe interior of the chamber by means of the arm 40, but where there areother men remaining in the submarine, the door may be secured, ifdesired, by means of the arm 4l. When the door 33 has been closed andhas been secured,

the'member 57V may be turned to free the threaded projection 55, whenthe head 9 may be turned slowly, either from within or from without thechamber or cylinder 6, when the water will flow into the chamber orcylinder 6, and when the chamber or cylinder 6 has been filled withwater, the man within the chamber may leave through the exit 7, the manbeing provided with a suitable means to withstand water pressure and tosupply him temporarilyv with air. When the man has escaped, the plungeror piston 43 may be moved in the direction of the head 7 to expel waterfrom the chamber or cylinder 6, after which the head 9 may be closed bythe means which has been described and after which the piston 43 will bemoved again to a position adjacent the head 46, the check valves 45permitting air to enter the chamber or cylinder 6, when the door 33 maybe opened again to Vpermit another man to enter the chamber or cylinderand make his escape in the manner described. It will be understood thatwhen the member 57 has been moved to free the threaded projection 55, itwill not be necessary to operate this member 57 to lock the door duringthe period between the escape of two sailors, inasmuch as the head 9will be held in position at the eXit 7 by the water pressure. Therefore,when'one or more sailors are about to escape from the submarine, themember 57 will be moved to free the threaded projection 55 and thisprojection 55 will not be locked again during the escape of the crewfrom the submarine.

What is claimed is l. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an exit, ahead for closing the exit, a plunger in the chamber and litting thechamber snugly for moving in the direction of the exit to eject waterfrom the chamber through the exit, the chamber having an entrance, adoor for closing the entrance, and a check valve or valves in theplunger.

2. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an exit, a head for closingthe exit, a plunger in the chamber and litting the chamber snugly formoving in the direction of the 1 exit to eject water from the chamberthrough the exit, a threadedspindle secured to the plunger, a nutmeshing with the thread on the'spindle, means to limit the movement ofthe nut longitudinally of the spindle, means to rotate the nut, thechamber having an entrance, and a door for closing the entrance.

3. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an exit, a head for closingthe exit, a

.-- plunger in the chamber and fitting the chamber snugly for moving inthe direction of the exit to eject Water from the chamber through theexit, a. threaded spindle secured to the plunger, a nut meshing with thethread on rthe spindle, means to limit the movement of v tively to thechamber, a bearing in a Wal-l of the chamber, a stub shaft journaled inthe bearing, a handvvheel on the stub shaft and disposed Within thechamber, a nut meshing with the thread on the rod, and gearingconnecting the stub shaft With the nut.

5. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an opening, a head forclosing the opening, there being another opening in a Wall of thechamber, a door for closing the second mentioned opening, an arm on thedoor, there being a third opening in a Wall of the chamber, a lockingmember pivoted at the third mentioned opening, the locking member havingmeans for securing the arm, an operating "5 arm on the locking meansextending through the third mentioned opening into the chamber, andmeans on the operating arm for closing the third mentioned opening.

6. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an opening, a pivoted headfor closing the opening, an arm secured to the pivoted head, a threadedrod, means connecting the threaded rod with the arm for moving the headrelatively to the chamber, a bearing in a Wall of the chamber, a stubshaft journaled in the bearing, a handWheel on the stub shaft anddisposed Within the chamber, a nut meshing with the thread on the rod,gearing connecting the stub shaft With the nut, there being anotheropening in a Wall of the chamber, a door for closing the secondmentioned opening, an arm 0n the door, there being a third opening in aWall of the chamber, a locking member pivoted at the third mentionedopening` the locking member having means for securing the arm, anoperating arm on the locking member extending through the thirdmentioned opening into the chamber, and means on the operating arm forclosing the third mentioned opening.

7. In a submarine escape, a chamber hav-` ing an opening, a pivoted headfor closing the opening, an arm secured to the pivoted head, a threadedrod, means connecting the threaded rod with the arm for moving the headrelatively to the chamber, a bearing in a Wall of the chamber, a stubshaft j ournaled in the bearing, a handwheel on the stub shaft anddisposed Within the chamber, a nut meshing with the thread on the rod,gearing connecting the stub shaft with the nut, there being anotheropening in a Wall of the chamber, a door for closing the secondmentioned opening, an arm on the door, there being a third opening in aWall of the chamber, a locking member pivoted at the third mentionedopening, the locking member having means for securing the arm, anoperating arm on the locking member extending through the thirdmentioned opening into the chamber, means on the operating arm forclosing the third mentioned opening, the head having a threadedprojection, a bearing, and a member movable in the bearing and having aVthreaded opening in Which the threaded projection meshes.

8. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an exit, an inlet, anoutwardly disposed hood and a depression, a head for closing the exit, aplunger in the chamber fitting the chamber snugly for moving in thedirection of the exit to eject Water from the chamber through the exit,a door for closing the inlet, a check valve in the plunger, means forsecuring the door operable in the hood, and means operable from thedepression for moving the head relatively to the chamber.

9. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an exit, an inlet and adepression, a head for closing the exit, a plunger in the chamber andfitting the chamber snugly for moving in the direction of the exit toeject Water from the chamber through the exit, a door for closing theinlet, a check valve in the plunger, and means operable in thedepression for moving the head relatively to the chamber.

l0. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an exit, an inlet and anoutwardly disposed hood, a head for closing the exit, a plunger in thechamber fitting the chamber snugly for moving in the direction of theexit to eject Water from the chamber through the exit, a door forclosing the inlet, a` check valve in the plunger, and means for securingthe door operable in the hood.

11. In a submarine escape, a chamber having an opening and a depression,a plunger for moving in the chamber, a pivoted head for closing theopening, an arm secured to the pivoted head, a rod, means connecting therod With the arm for moving the head relatively to the chamber, andmeans Within the depression for operating the rod from Within thechamber.

CHARLES EMIL CHRISTIAN RADEIVIACHER.

